Found in the Storm

By Sarah Hadley Brook

It’s Friday night and Mason is content to stay home with his dog instead of going out in a raging thunderstorm. He wasn’t in the mood for the bars, anyway. Not when he was pining for his best friend’s brother, Boone. Who was off-limits -- no matter what his heart wanted.

When the doorbell rings, he’s shocked to find the man of his dreams on his front porch. Boone’s had a rotten day and is looking to have fun, but will he be able to convince Mason he wants to be more than a friend?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Apr 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685501211

Sarah Hadley Brook

Sarah Hadley Brook reserves her evenings for her hobby-turned-passion of writing, letting the characters she conjures up in her mind take the lead and show her where the story will go. She dreams of traveling to Scotland some day and visiting the places her ancestors lived. Sarah believes in “happily ever after” and strives to ensure her characters find their own happiness in love and life. For more information, visit sarahhadleybrookwrites.com.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Heavy rain lashed against the house, rattling the window panes and echoing through the small kitchen. In a frenzied struggle against the wind, branches from the old oak tree scraped wildly at the side of the house and dragged at the roof’s edge. I peeked through the blinds but my vision was mostly obscured by the wide rivulets of water streaming down the glass; I saw a sliver of light from the lone streetlamp on my cul-de-sac, some dark shadows moving with the wind. Clouds had rolled in hours ago, blotting out the sun long before the rain had started.

Muted thunder sounded in the distance, barely audible above the roar outside.

At the sound of a whimper, I glanced down at my dog and smiled. Yeah, buddy. No way I wanna to be out in this, either.

Argus barked in agreement and rose on his hind legs, pawing at my leg. I knelt and ran my hands through his thick black fur. Yes, you’re a good boy, aren’t you? I cooed. His tongue lolled out as he sank to the tiled floor, reveling in the attention. Thunder tended to stress out Argus, so I usually spent a lot of time distracting him when it stormed. Belly rubs were his favorite.

Once I’d sufficiently praised him and ruffled his fur, then smoothed it back, of course, I glanced at the timer on the stove. Eight minutes left on the pizza. I stared at Argus and chuckled. Here it was, a Friday night, and instead of going out to the bars with friends, I was perfectly content to stay in with my dog, dine on pizza and cold beer, and maybe watch a movie.

Of course, hanging out with my straight buddies and watching them hit on women wasn’t always as much fun as it sounded. It wasn’t their fault, though. Living in a smaller town, the LGBTQ culture wasn’t exactly hopping. Although Copperville leaned a bit more liberal than you would think in a red state.

You’re getting old, Mason. Acting like you’re forty when you’re only twenty-nine, I muttered. My friends had called earlier, practically begging me to join them for a night out dancing and drinking, but something—maybe maturity, imagine that—kept me home. Maybe it was the long week, or the storm, or maybe I just wanted to hang out with Argus. I wouldn’t have wanted him home alone on a night like this anyway.

Even on those lucky nights I met someone I thought I could be interested in, it never progressed beyond a hook-up. It was always the same: dancing, drinking, flirting, getting off together, or a quick fuck, and that was it. No real connection. No real pull.

Or maybe it was watching my best friend fall head-over-heels in love last year. While I was thrilled Bennett and Rebecca had found each other, having a front-row seat to their budding romance had made me begin to yearn for things I’d never allowed myself to want. The intimate looks that passed between them, the glow they shared whenever they were in a room together, and the upcoming wedding where they would affirm their love in front of others.

I wanted that—all of it. Love, someone to take care of, someone to share my life with. There were times I was so envious of Bennett, it took everything I had to shove it down deep and paste on a smile.

I was also discerning enough to know going to the bars wouldn’t lead me